The One
by SSJL
Summary: Brennan and Angela talk about soulmates.  Pretty unlikely that Brennan will change her point of view, huh?  We'll see!


**A/N: It happened again…a line from one of my other stories took root in my brain and bloomed into a little one-shot. It's one of those cute stories that is fairly unremarkable—one that takes some of the little moments in life and amplifies them a bit. I think it's kind of fun. Hope you will, too! Please read & review!**

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When Angela showed up at her door with her face both tear-streaked and angry, Brennan figured that this was another of those best-friend traditions that she was unfamiliar with—the significant other post-fight retreat—so she took it in stride and did her best to be helpful. Yes, Hodgins had been a jerk, how dare he say those things. Absolutely right, he would be lucky if she ever came home or talked to him again. Of course, none of this means he didn't love her—he was just being a _guy_, and she was sure he'd come to his senses again soon. Despite this last assurance, Angela had wanted to spend the night in her apartment, just for good measure. Give Jack time to think about his grievous errors.

After awhile of this, Brennan realized that she was going to need to multi-task if she were to get anything done tonight, so she guided Ange to the bedroom so she could talk while Brennan folded her laundry and put it back in her closet. Angela laid on her stomach on the queen-sized bed. Brennan hoped that she wouldn't get tears on her nice pillowcases.

"This would be so much easier if he wasn't The One," Ange mumbled sulkily. "Then I could just be mad at him and not even worry about how to resolve it. But, no. Of all the men…he had to be The One."

Brennan glanced over her shoulder at her. "Hmm. You sounded like Booth just then." Referencing her partner, full-time FBI agent, full-time idealist. "He believes in that concept too—'The One.'" She made quotes with her fingers.

Angela propped her face up on her arms. "I _want _to believe in it." She looked at her best friend curiously. "Don't you?"

Not really even having to think about the answer, Brennan went back to her work, sliding one of her blouses onto a hanger. "Actually, I find it kind of depressing—all that romantic, soul mate-y stuff."

"Depressing? How do you figure?" Angela looked mystified.

"Believing that there is only one person in the world who can make you happy…so if you don't find him or her, or something happens, you are just destined to be alone forever? _That _sounds depressing to me."

With a frown, Angela replied, "I don't think of it like that."

"Of course you don't. Because then the idea wouldn't be nearly as attractive."

"Do you know what I believe in?" She crawled around on the bed until she was facing Brennan with her face in her hands. "I believe in that one moment where your eyes lock, and your breath catches, and everything stands still. Where destiny catches up to you, and the only thing left to do is follow through with it. Where your lips are inches apart and you are hit with the sudden realization that this kiss—this _one _kiss—is going to change your life forever."

Brennan paused, then laid down her laundry in the basket and sat next to Angela on the bed. "Angela…that sounds…" her voice trailed off.

"Perfect?" Angela tried, helpfully.

"Not quite." She leaned in towards her friend. _"Terrifying."_

Staring for a second, the slow smile came across the artist's face, and her head collapsed back down to her folded arms. "I should have known that you were going to be a tough sell," she said.

"Sorry," Brennan shrugged ruefully. "No sale." She patted her friend on the shoulder and smiled at her. "How do you feel?"

She thought about it. "Actually…I feel a lot better now." She swung up into a sitting position. "You know what? I think I'll go home now. Jack and I can work things out…I know we can."

A little relieved to be able to end all this silly talk about 'The One,' Brennan encouraged her. "Of course you can. _That _I have faith in." She put her arm around her friend and ushered her out of the room and to the door.

Angela wrapped her arms around her. "Thanks for your help, Sweetie." Brennan didn't bother to remind her that it was Ange's own conclusions that had made her feel better, and she hugged her back.

As she pulled open the door open to leave, she started a bit. Standing with his fist poised to knock was Brennan's partner Seeley Booth.

"Bones! Angela, too. What a nice surprise."

Angela grinned. "Hello, Booth. What are you doing at my best friend's place at this hour?"

"Very important case stuff." He tapped the briefcase in his hand. He walked into the apartment uninvited and made himself at home on Brennan's couch, while both women watched him amusedly.

"Hmm." Angela glanced at her friend knowingly, then back at Booth. "Well, as fate would have it, I'm leaving now. Can't fight fate, right?"

"Huh?" Booth looked up from the files he was unpacking.

Angela rolled her eyes as she walked out the door. "Who knows? Maybe by the time I see you all again, you won't be so painfully oblivious." She gave her friend's hand a squeeze. "Bye Sweetie," she whispered. "Thanks again."

Brennan closed the door behind her, and sighed. She walked over and sat beside her partner on the couch, resigning herself to a few hours of work. Anything would be better than all this romance talk, anyway.

"So what were you and Angela talking about tonight?" Booth asked absently while he looked for a particular piece of paperwork.

She shrugged. "Men issues. Fate."

"Ah. Girl stuff."

"Hey, don't pull me into that category. She brought it up. I just listened."

The file he was looking for slipped from the coffee table and onto the floor. "Shoot."

Both of them leaned forward to reach for it at the same time. Their hands touched, and they froze. Their eyes locked. Their breath caught. Time stood still. It all rang vaguely familiar in Brennan's mind.

Their faces were inches apart, and she felt her heart slamming in her chest, panic rising. She didn't know what to do. Their lips drew closer.

At the last minute, her mouth took a detour and settled near his ear. She whispered the first words that came to her mind. "I'm not going to kiss you right now. Because…I'm not ready for my life to change forever right this moment." She paused. "But maybe, someday, I will be." As the words fell out, she couldn't believe she was saying them. She didn't believe in this stuff, did she? And he was going to have no idea what she was talking about. She pulled her head back so that their eyes met again. "Okay?" Her voice sounded desperate.

She expected to see confusion, but she was surprised when he slowly nodded. "Okay. I get it."

"Really?" Slightly stunned.

He smiled. "Really."

Of course he did. Hadn't she told Angela she sounded just like Booth as she extolled her philosophy? She felt a strange mixture of relief and confusion—relief that he understood, and confusion about her near instantaneous shift of attitude.

"How about we talk about that case now?" He picked the file off the floor, and they straightened up.

"Sounds good," she agreed.

They spent the rest of the evening discussing the case, as promised. But in the back of her mind, a new concept took root. And she started anticipating the kiss that would change the world.


End file.
